Latest content: Governance and law

This report is a record of the proceedings of the 14th Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held from 6 to 11 May 2024 at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, Accra, Ghana, under the theme ‘Strengthening institutions and promoting transparency: A means of fighting corruption in Commonwealth Africa’.

The conference was convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of Ghana, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
Read publication - Fourteenth Commonwealth Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting for Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa
The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has commended key election stakeholders of Trinidad and Tobago on a well-organised parliamentary election, in preliminary findings on the 2025 polls, but urged action to regulate campaign finance to ensure a level playing field for all candidates.
Read press release - Commonwealth Observer Group says Trinidad and Tobago elections well organised, and notes areas for improvement
This edition of the Commonwealth Cyber Journal brings to the forefront key issues that demand our collective attention and action. We are proud to present articles offering insights and practical approaches to protecting critical information infrastructure, an area of growing concern as essential services and national assets increasingly rely on interconnected systems. Lessons shared in this edition highlight the vulnerabilities of member countries and the innovative strategies being deployed to secure these vital sectors. As digital platforms become arenas for harassment, coercion, and harm, the need for a coordinated response rooted in human rights and gender-sensitive approaches becomes more paramount. The contributions in this issue challenge us to consider how cyber policies practices and guidelines may better protect the most vulnerable among us.
Read publication - Commonwealth Cyber Journal: Volume 3
This report provides a summary of the findings and recommendations contained in the five regional reports Addressing the Role of Bystanders on Online Violence Against Women and Girls in the Commonwealth produced by the Secretariat in 2023.
The report presents the root causes and impacts of cyberviolence as being gender based, with a disproportionate impact on females where there is intersectionality of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, poverty, disability and other socioeconomic factors.
Read publication - Cyberviolence Against Women and Girls in the Commonwealth
The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a publication, A Commonwealth Guide to Case Management, that seeks to help courts manage civil cases more efficiently. The guide, produced by the Secretariat’s Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform (OCCJR), is designed for practitioners, judicial officers and policymakers. It provides best practice and practical advice to improve court administration and proceedings.
Read news - A guide aims to accelerate improved access to justice across the Commonwealth
The Handbook on Designing and Implementing RIA Systems is intended to assist Commonwealth governments in designing and implementing programmes of Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) across multiple regulatory institutions. It identifies major risk factors that have led to failure of RIA programmes in other countries and suggests options that countries should consider to reduce the risks of failure. It is impossible to reduce risks to zero, but this Handbook will help increase the probability that RIA programmes will, in the end, improve the quality of government policies.
Read publication - Handbook on Designing and Implementing Regulatory Impact Assessment Systems